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2.6.1b Compare weather and climate. 2.6.1a Explain major climate categories (Köppen climate classification system - temperate, tropical, and polar).
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Weather vs. Climate Weather short-term condition of the atmosphere days, weeks meteorologists Climate long-term (30 year) average of weather conditions and extremes climatologists
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Determinants Climate zones are largely determined by 2 factors: Temperature ○ latitude, altitude, land-water, ocean currents, mountain barriers Precipitation ○ Air pressure ○ Air mass influences ○ Prevailing winds
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Climographs Using data from temperature and rainfall, we can make climographs ○ Average monthly temperature on one side (line) ○ Average monthly precipitation on the other side (bars)
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Climographs Check these 2 graphs. How are they different? What do we know about weather/climate? Which area of the world could these be from?
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Areas that have similar temperature and rainfall will share a similar climate zone.
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K ö ppen Climate Classification System The most widely used for classifying the world's climates. Köppen divided the Earth's surface into climatic regions that generally coincided with world patterns of vegetation and soils. The Köppen system recognizes five major climate types based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation. Each type is designated by a capital letter. A, B, C, D, E
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3 Basic Climate Groups Group I: Tropical Low-latitude Climates Group II: Temperate Mid-latitude Climates Group III: Polar High-latitude climates
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Group I Low-latitude Climates: Tropical Moist Climates (Af) rainforest Wet-Dry Tropical Climates (Aw) savanna Dry Tropical Climate (BW) desert biome
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Tropical Climates (A)
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Tropical Humid Climates (Af) 1/3 of Earth’s total surface (about 20 ºN to 20 ºS) Consistently warm (all months > 18ºC/64.4 ºF) Annual precipitation exceeds evaporation Daily temp range exceeds annual temp range Subcategories based on rainfall (ITCZ influence) Tropical rainforest Tropical monsoon Tropical savanna
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Tropical Rainforest (Af) High rainfall all year (>2” / month) Straddles Equator by 5 o - 10 o
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Savanna (Aw) – Tropical Grassland Climates Region/Distribution: Subequatorial Africa, and South America, Southern India (25° N and S Latitude)
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Dry / Semiarid Climates (B) Occupy about 1/3 of Earth’s land area (Most extensive climate over land surface) Evaporation exceeds precipitation (water deficit) Subcategories Desert (BW) Steppe (BS)
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Dry Arid / Semiarid Climates (B)
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Deserts (BW): dry
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Deserts (BW): Desert Causation: High Pressure Cells and resultant stability Rainshadows Precipitation: Scarce: <10 inches/year Unreliable: wide variation from average Intense: convective downpours Temperature: Widest range: up to 100 o F/day! Hot at low latitudes, wide variation at higher latitudes
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Anza-Borrego State Park, CA Winter 2004/2005
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Group 2: Mid-latitude Climates: Dry Midlatitude Climates (BS) steppe or grasslands Mediterranean Climate (Cs) chaparral biome Wet Midlatitude Climates (Cf) Decidous forest
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Steppe (BS): temperate grasslands more precipitation than BW narrower temperature ranges grasslands
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Mesothermal Climates (C) “Middle temperature” True seasons (air mass conflict) Subdivisions based on precipitation variation humid subtropical marine west coast Mediterranean Subtropical Forest Sarasota, Florida Marine West Coast Temperate Rainforest Olympic Peninsula, Washington
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Mesothermal Climates (C) Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast Mediterranean
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Humid Subtropical Midlatitude Forests (Deciduous) Hot summer, substantial year- round precipitation Low latitude east coasts (warm currents). Summer max precipitation. Cold spells Region/Distribution: Western Europe, East Asia, Eastern U.S.. Between 30-50° north or south Cfa - New Orleans, LA
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Mediterranean Dry summers (shifting subtropical highs) Surrounds Mediterranean Also on west coasts near 30 o N and S (Australia, S. Africa, Chile) Wine regions
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Group 3: High-latitude Climates: Subarctic Climates (Df) Boreal or Taiga Polar Climate (Et) Tundra Polar Climate (Ef) Ice Caps
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Microthermal Climates (D) Virtually restricted to Northern Hemisphere.
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Subarctic Climates (Boreal or Taiga) 50 o -70 o N latitude long, bitterly cold winters highest annual temp range: up to 100 O F Great annual temperature ranges (continentality, air mass conflicts) Region/Distribution: Northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia, South So. America, much of Russia Dw – Calgary, Canada
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Fir Trees, Alaska British Columbia Spruce Needles
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Polar Climates (E) - all months < 50 O F
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Tundra (ET) warmest month 32-50 F Region/Distribution: North of the Boreal Forest, high latitudes of northern hemisphere in a belt around the Arctic Ocean, near the coast Ice caps (EF) warmest month below 32 F Both have very low precipitation
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Highland Climates (H) How are these like the poles? How different?
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Highland Climates (H) How are these like the poles? How different? Lower temperatures More moisture available More insolation High winds in both
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Where in the world is?…..
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Verkhoyansk, Russia (67.4 N, 133.3 E)
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Where in the world is?…..
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Iquitos, Peru (3.4 S, 73.2 W)
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Where in the world is?…..
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Hilo, Hawaii
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Where in the world is?…..
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West Point, NY
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Where in the world is?…..
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San Francisco, California
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Activity: Climographs Complete the activity on the back of your notes by graphing the temperature and precipitation of the two locations. Use your knowledge of the climate zones and your textbook (p364) to help identify the locations.
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